It seems to this city resident and elector that Boca Raton was insufficiently prepared in our recent municipal election for a close three candidate election. After witnessing the razor sharp race in 2018 and now again in 2026, it is time that the City pursue some election reform and modernize its old fashion election laws and introduce legislation so elections clearly define a winner.
| Andy Thomson: | 7,572 votes or 39.63% |
| Michael Liebelson: | 7,567 votes or 39.61% |
| Fran Nachlas: | 3,967 votes or 20.76% |
Run-off Elections Are Good Governance:
In representative democracies, a mandate2 is a perceived legitimacy to rule through popular support. A mayor should be elected by a 50% plus one majority vote. Should no candidate for Mayor receive a 50% plus 1 vote at the general election, the two candidates for Mayor receiving the highest number of votes shall proceed to a run-off election.
The election was held according to the rules in place; no argument there. Therefore for Boca Raton, the results are the results – and we must move forward as was eloquently articulated by Katie Barr’s recent article: A Clash of Two Visions.
But what every voter should question is do the old ways produce good governance? Coincidently, an example of the downstream effects of not having good governance was brought to light at the last Council Meeting regarding disclosure and transparency (see video below). I attended that meeting to speak in favor of good governance by encouraging a ‘YES’ vote in favor of Ordinance No. 5785 that establishes lobbyist certification and disclosure requirements for development applications – as introduced by Deputy Mayor Grau. This is why we need to more fully disclose who is advocating for whom and for what?
VIDEO: Council Member Jon Pearlman reveals a recent case where an attorney representing the Boca Raton Innovation Campus landowner wrote an ordinance that blocked an adjacent landowner from building a Free Standing Emergency Room and then got the ordinance introduced by a former Council Member.
New Council = A New Era
Even if the city had to pay for the rare run-off election, that is the cost of good governance. The alternative is a system designed to advantage the special interests who can control it. Good governance via runoff election law may cost once in a few elections. But the price of bad governance has costs as well, and many times with far greater consequences than just cost.
I think the subject of elections is more than worthy to be put on a City Council Workshop Agenda for discussion, with the hopes of new legislation to better deal with this situation. Below is legislation from Surfside Florida where it also recently experienced a similar lack of mandate in a mayoral election. However there, it appears the Town’s Charter / Code of Ordinances were better prepared for this scenario.
Good governance depends on citizen involvement. Make your voice heard at City Hall by contacting your City Council/CRA Members at citycouncil@ci.boca.raton.FL.us
